Joseph (Genesis)
Joseph | |
|---|---|
| יוֹסֵף | |
Joseph Overseer of the Pharaoh's Granaries (1874) by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema | |
| Born | Paddan Aram, Aram-Naharaim (present-day Harran, Turkey) |
| Died | Ancient Egypt |
| Resting place | Joseph's Tomb, Nablus, West Bank 32°12′47″N 35°16′58″E / 32.2130268°N 35.2829153°E |
| Other names | Zaphnath-Paaneah (צָפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ) |
| Spouse | Asenath |
| Children |
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| Parents | |
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Joseph (/ˈdʒoʊzəf, -səf/; Hebrew: יוֹסֵף, romanized: Yōsēp̄, lit. 'He shall add')[2][a] is an important Hebrew figure in the Bible's Book of Genesis. He is revered by Muslims because he is mentioned in the Quran as a prophet.
Joseph was the first of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel, making him Jacob's twelfth named child and eleventh son. He is the founder of the Tribe of Joseph among the Israelites. His story functions as an explanation for Israel's residence in Egypt. He is the favourite son of the patriarch Jacob, and his envious brothers sell him into slavery in Biblical Egypt, where he eventually ends up incarcerated. After correctly interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh, he rises to second-in-command in Egypt and saves Egypt during a famine. Jacob's family travels to Egypt to escape the famine, and it is through him that they are given leave to settle in the Land of Goshen (the eastern part of the Nile Delta).
Scholars hold different opinions about the historical background of the Joseph story, as well as the date and development of its composition.[6] Some scholars suggest that the biblical story of Joseph (Gen 37-50) was a multigenerational work with both early and late components.[7] Others hold that the original Joseph story was a Persian period diaspora novella told from the perspective of Judeans living in Egypt.[8][9]
In Jewish tradition, he is the ancestor of a second Messiah called "Mashiach ben Yosef", who will wage war against the forces of evil alongside Mashiach ben David and die in combat with the enemies of God and Israel.[10] Christian tradition often interprets him as a typological precursor to Jesus, emphasizing his virtue and suffering. In Islam, Joseph (Yusuf) is regarded as a prophet, and the Quran recounts his story with some variations, such as the healing of Jacob’s eyes. The Bahá’í faith also references Joseph metaphorically in relation to recognizing manifestations of God. Beyond religious texts, Joseph’s story has inspired extensive literature, music, theater, and film adaptations, from Handel’s oratorio to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as well as numerous international films and television series retelling his life and legacy.
- ^ Genesis 46:20
- ^ Gesenius & Robinson 1882, p. 391.
- ^ "Psalms 81:6". Sefaria.
- ^ "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 3084". Bible Hub.
- ^ Khan, Geoffrey (2020). The Tiberian Pronunciation Tradition of Biblical Hebrew, Volume 1. Open Book Publishers. ISBN 978-1783746767.
- ^ Binder, Susanne (2011). "Joseph's Rewarding and Investiture (Genesis 41:41-43) and The Gold Of Honour In New Kingdom Egypt". In Bar, S.; Kahn, D.; Shirley, J. J. (eds.). Egypt, Canaan and Israel: History, Imperialism, Ideology and Literature: Proceedings of a Conference at the University of Haifa, 3-7 May 2009. BRILL. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-90-04-19493-9.
- ^ Rezetko 2022, p. 31.
- ^ Schipper, Bernd. “The Egyptian Background of the Joseph Story.” Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel 8/1 (2019): 6–23. “The Joseph story is best described as a diaspora-novella that expresses a concept of identity which reflects Judeans/Israelites living in Persian period Egypt.”
- ^ Römer, Thomas. “The Joseph Story in the Book of Genesis: Pre-P or Post-P?” In The Post-Priestly Pentateuch: New Perspectives on its Redactional Development and Theological Profiles, edited by Federico Giuntoli and Konrad Schmid, 185-201. FAT 101. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015. “The Joseph narrative, now integrated into Gen 37-50, was originally an independent Diaspora novella composed during the Persian period, probably by a member of the Hebrews living in Egypt in order to legitimate a life outside the land.”
- ^ Blidstein, Gerald J. (2007). Skolnik, Fred; Berenbaum, Michael; Thomson Gale (Firm) (eds.). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Vol. 14. pp. 112–113. ISBN 978-0-02-866097-4. OCLC 123527471. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
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